


Remember Me

by sadconfusinghours



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Car Accidents, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Reincarnation, Short One Shot, Wakes & Funerals, Weddings, What-If, Yes Akaashi is Dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28716162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadconfusinghours/pseuds/sadconfusinghours
Summary: A story about reincarnation wherein you get reincarnated only after everyone forgets you but for some reason Akaashi’s still around.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Remember Me

**Author's Note:**

> I thought of this while taking a shower;
> 
> I’m sorry for grammar errors and typos! I wrote this at midnight. Enjoy!

They say that once you enter purgatory, you go into a room, watching over the people who remember you. Once you’re engulfed in darkness, it would cue one’s reincarnation as a preparation to their next life. 

Akaashi Keiji was only 18 when he went to purgatory.

It was unexpected, he’d been setting the ball for his volleyball’s team and crush, Bokuto Kotarou for three years.

However, one taxi ride changed it all. It happened in an instant. Akaashi still remembers the pain of his joints being crushed by metal, the smell of blood tainting the air, and his struggle to reach his phone before his breath had completely run out.

_ Promise me you’ll be happy, even if I’m gone  _ were his last words to the love of his life, well aware of the impact of his death.

_I promise but what’s wrong? Why is it loud out there?_

Akaashi smiled hearing Bokuto’s voice one last time, his breathing was starting to slow down, the numbness was getting to him. His eyes fluttering shut. 

With the last of his breath,  _ I love you _ , he muttered. 

Unsure if Bokuto was able to hear him because before he knew it, he was watching his whole life right before his eyes. 

From the moment he first opened his eyes as soon as he was brought of his mother’s womb to his last moment on the taxi. He was planning on surprising Bokuto that he got into the same university he was in. 

The next few moments he was brought to what he immediately knew as purgatory.

The first thought that came to his mind was  _you will live your next life once you’re forgotten_.

If given the chance he would laugh, but he was too numb to take it all in.

“Ah, so it’s not long ‘till I live again, huh.” Akaashi sighed as he watched over his own funeral. People he knew from friends to his teammates, from coaches to classmates, gathered in one place as they mourn over the setter. 

Akaashi lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his grandmother; Moreover, his father left them before then. He practically grew up alone after losing his grandmother to cancer. He’ll be living a new life soon, he’ll just have to wait for that certain person to forget about him.

Coincidentally, he sees Bokuto enter the venue. The sight of him pained Akaashi. His usual bright stature was replaced by gloom. His eyes were covered with dark circles and were swollen red, evident of crying. He was also thinning, making him look fragile to the point that he might break when touched. It was painful to see him like this, and as much as Akaashi wanted to hug him but he couldn’t. All he could do was walk beside him, watching his every step, as Bokuto walked towards his own corpse. 

As Bokuto neared his casket, one look at Akaashi’s lifeless body was enough to make him fall to the floor, crying. Kuroo was the first to rush to his best friend trying to comfort him as Bokuto thrashed around.

“Wake him up, please!” He bawled his eyes out.

For the first time since Akaashi died, he found himself feeling something.  Seeing Bokuto broken, made him feel again. Tears were fell from Akaashi’s eyes. He tried holding back a sob, bringing a hand to his mouth as if they could hear him. 

Unconsciously, he sat beside Bokuto’s crying body and gave him an embrace hoping that he could feel it.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Akaashi repeated hoping that it would reach him.

Bokuto’s cries started to simmer down to sobs.

“Are you sure you want to see him? There’s three more days. You don’t have to force yourself.” Kuroo said while rubbing his best friends back.

Bokuto shook his head in response and shakily stood. Each step he took felt heavy, making it hard to watch. 

Akaashi wasn’t sure if he could handle sitting through it all and so he rushed out of the venue. 

Since then he had been watching over Bokuto. Watched over him as he graduated college and joined the MSBY Black Jackals and later on competing as a wing spiker for Japan’s National Volleyball Team. In the midst of it all, he watched as he met a woman that made him smile like how he did when Akaashi was still around.

“Took you long enough to smile like that again, you dummy.” Akaashi felt relieved to see him smile again. It brought him both pain and comfort knowing that he’d be able to move on and forget about him.

_Forget. Ah._ It’s not long until he forgets about him, not long until he forgets about Bokuto as well. He felt his heart throb. It was a phenomenon, how much Bokuto had this much of an effect on him even in his afterlife. 

Something he learned while being in purgatory for years is how he rarely felt anything. 

Happiness, sadness, confusion, anger, it became a foreign feeling the longer he stayed. 

But, seeing Bokuto made him feel. 

However, there was this one feeling that he couldn’t forget, even after he’s dead, and it was the feeling of hurt. 

Right now, he was watching Bokuto bond with his new lady through marriage as they exchanged “I do”s and their first kiss as a wedded couple. 

He was watching from the crowd and applauded alongside the cheers of the wife’s and Bokuto’s friends and family.

The wedding reception was bright, they were situated in a garden, it was beautiful. 

_It was what Akaashi wanted for his wedding._

He breezed through faces that forget about him. They were all seated near each other. Instead of melancholy, he felt a sense of home and comfort. He was glad to his former teammates laughing, Konoha and Washio both had beautiful women beside them giving them all their love and attention. Sarukui sat alone chatting up Kuroo and Kenma who was seated on the same table. Akaashi’s eyes focused on their joined hands as Kuroo conversed with Sarukui. Kenma was his usual self, present but kept to himself except when Hinata from the other table would talk to him. On Hinata’s table sat the half of MSBY Black Jackals and their plus ones. The team had two tables occupied including their coaches. The environment was lively, Akaashi appreciated it that much. 

“May I have your attention please?” The host spoke through the mic, bringing the venue to silence.

“Before anything else, let’s give a round of applause for the newly wed!” With that, claps immediately broke the silence alongside some cheers. A few forks tapped against their glasses, making the crowd follow suit, cueing the newly wed to share a kiss which received howls and woos from the crowd. 

“Alright, alright. Now we have a few words from the groom, take it away, Bokuto!” The host hyped the crowd as he passed the mic to Bokuto who was smiling as if he won the lottery. He briefly thanked the host as he brought the mic near his mouth.

“First of all, thank you to everyone one who came around despite our busy schedule to celebrate this night with me and Mitsuki.

“The last years were difficult for me, I drowned myself in volleyball and wasn’t able to focus on myself despite making a promise to someone. A promise that I wasn’t able to fulfill it which weighed me down.” Bokuto took a breath before looking at Mitsuki, his wife and took his hand.

“For the longest time, I’ve been trying to keep my promise to Keiji and it was hard, of course. I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise but everything changed when I met this beautiful fine lady beside me. I’m more than happy to call her my wife.” Mitsuki was standing, giving Bokuto a hug, looking at him lovingly as he continued with his speech.

“And so, to everyone, gathered here today. Thank you for sticking with me and for helping me get through it.” Bokuto raised a fist in the air which earned him cheers, specifically from the Fukurodani and the Jackals table.

Before he wrapped up his speech, he inhaled deeply and looked up to the sky, as if he were stopping himself from crying. Akaashi’s chest suddenly hurt, he didn’t know why until he heard Bokuto’s next few words. 

“Akaashi, if you’re hearing this, I’m sorry for taking this long to fulfill my promise to you but I did it. I’m happy, and I hope you’re happy wherever you are as well. I miss and love you, Keiji.” Bokuto was tearing up, and so were the people who knew him. But what surprised him the most was how Mitsuki was crying with everyone. 

_ You must have told a lot of people about me huh.  _

Akaashi smiled. 

This is it. He thought to himself. He knew the speech was his end game, it won’t be long until he’s forgotten, until he forgets himself and live a different life.

He wasn’t scared though. He was more than prepared for this day. 

After feeling satisfaction from Bokuto’s happiness, he headed back to purgatory and began waiting for the darkness to take over.

Weirdly enough, he’s starting to feel time pass by. He was still in his room, stuck within walls.

“Hasn’t Bokuto forgot about me?” Akaashi sighed and decided to pay him a visit.

He already forgot how it felt like to be in pain but seeing Bokuto and his growing family reminded him how it sucked to be in pain. 

Bokuto was now living with a child that looked like a combination of him and Mitsuki, the child looked as if they were 2-3 years old. Akaashi lost his focus on the child and maintained his focus on Mitsuki’s growing belly which Bokuto was giving kisses to as he spoke to it. 

Bokuto obviously forgot about him so who was keeping him around?

It was frustrating, it’s not that he wanted to be forgotten and forget who he was as Akaashi Keiji but the thought of the being able to keep on going back to Bokuto, and be in pain, was killing him. He wanted to be away, he doesn’t want to be hurt anymore. 

Who could it be? Akaashi thought long and hard then he was brought to an unfamiliar place. 

Another thing that he learned about his life in purgatory is that he could go to places as long as he thinks long and hard about where he wants to be but he didn’t know that he could be brought to a place he has never been to before. 

The first thing he noticed was the smell, it smelled delicious, like rice. 

He was in a restaurant. 

He tried walking around the place and saw a familiar face. 

_ Hinata Shoyo.  _

Akaashi wondered why Hinata won’t forget about him, if anything, Hinata might have been one of the first few who’d forget about him with all the people he meets. Was it him? 

“Osamu!” 

Weirdly enough, Akaashi was drawn to the name and followed the person(who called the name)’s line of sight. 

Akaashi locked his sights on the person. 

_ A twin?  _

The person named Osamu wore an apron, on it was a logo along with the words “Onigiri Miya”.

_ Miya?  _

Then it hit him. 

The Miya twins were famous due to their compatibility on the court. They were the talk of the world of Japanese Volleyball when he was in high school. 

_Okay, I know all that but what is my connection to him?_

Akaashi tried to ask. 

Ever since he died, he’d sometimes talk to an empty space. It’s not that he’s going crazy, it’s just that he never felt alone ever since his death despite being the only one around, there was always this presence around him that he couldn’t understand. This certain presence has been keeping him company and keeping him sane. 

“Oi, Osamu.” Miya Atsumu, he assumed, repeated his name. Osamu was busy with clearing the table near them and paid no attention to his twin. 

“A-“ Atsumu was cut off with a dirt rag meeting his face. 

“What the hell, Osamu?!” Atsumu was fuming however it didn’t stop Hinata from laughing. 

“I know your next words, so just shut up and tell me what you need so that I could get back to work.” Osamu grunted. 

“First of all, give me a towel, would’ja? This isn’t how you should treat a customer, y’know?” Atsumu was still angry but Akaashi sensed that he was trying to keep his composure since Hinata was around. 

Osamu left quickly and came back with a new shirt and a towel, muttering an apology. 

“Thank you. You should really control your anger, Samu.” Atsumu rolled his eyes before continuing. 

“Anyway, Can I get 12 Tuna Onigiri to go?” 

Osamu gave him a nod and walked towards the kitchen not until Atsumu grabbed his arm. 

“ _Still_?” Atsumu asked raising an eyebrow. 

“Agh, let me go. 12 onigiris are a lot to prepare, y’know?” Osamu tried to brush him off but Atsumu’s grip tightened. 

“You have to forget, it’s been years.” Atsumu’s tone became soft which made Osamu sigh. 

“I know and I will.” Osamu retrieved his arm and walked to the kitchen. 

Akaashi stood there wide-eyed and connected the dots. 

_Osamu Miya was the one keeping me around?_

“Is he okay?” Hinata asked with concern all over his face. 

“Yeah, believe it or not, he still hasn’t forgot about it. I just don’t know how to help him.” Atsumu ran a hand through his hair. 

“He’ll be fine, soon.” Hinata reassured. 

Akaashi was still in disbelief, was he assuming wrongly? 

Akaashi couldn’t trace back to the time he and Osamu interacted, he knows that they haven’t interacted when he was alive. He was so sure. But he also felt himself doubting. 

How does he know Osamu Miya? 

Not too long after, Osamu came out with a paper bag which he assumed were Atsumu’s order. 

After they paid, He and Hinata bid Osamu farewell before stepping out of the restaurant. 

Akaashi decided to stay by Osamu. He needed to know more. 

A few hours have passed, all of Osamu’s employees left by now as Osamu closed up their restaurant. 

After double checking, Osamu proceeded to walk which Akaashi assumed, to his house. 

Osamu was silent the whole walk, he wasn’t checking his phone or anything. He was just letting himself drown in the evening breeze. 

It was a calming walk, Akaashi admits, which made him more curious of Osamu Miya. 

Osamu started chuckling to himself. 

“What the heck am I even doing?” Osamu had a hand to his chest, clenching his shirt as if he were in pain. 

Osamu made his way towards an apartment and Akaashi kept following him. 

After Osamu prepared himself for bed, instead of actually going to bed, he headed towards the balcony. Akaashi followed suit, standing right beside him, observing Osamu as he looked up. 

“I’m still not over it, and still not over you.” Osamu began. 

Akaashi felt a pang in his chest. 

“When I first met you, I was intrigued, you immediately caught my eye. Could you imagine how shocked I was when I found out you were Fukurodani’s setter?” Osamu let out a shaky breath. 

Akaashi felt bad, he couldn’t remember the time when he first saw Miya Osamu but then he remembered it. 

“I just wish I wasn’t a coward and just asked for your name. Maybe things might have been different if I did. Maybe you’d still be alive, who knows. Agh, who am I kidding?” 

Osamu was obviously frustrated. Akaashi had a lot of questions and he hated how he couldn’t ask him  since it was impossible. 

“It’s been four years since I found out that you’re gone. I didn’t know that I’ve been searching for a dead person all this time.” Osamu laughed but his eyes were brimming with tears. His face was full of regret. 

_What are your regrets, Osamu?_

Akaashi wanted to ask. 

“It’s time to move on, isn’t it?” 

Akaashi moved in closer, touching his face, which felt like a breeze to Osamu. 

“Ah, was that you Akaashi? You’re free now, I’ll stop. I hope you find your peace.” 

Osamu was silently crying. To Akaashi’s surprise, Tears were falling from his face as well. 

He finally understood, what that unknown presence was. 

It was Osamu Miya all along. 

“Thank you for remembering me.” Akaashi placed a kiss on Osamu’s temple, giving his face one last look and left the place, letting himself be engulfed in darkness. 


End file.
